Loreto Convent was a Catholic convent which operated as a girls' school in

Claremont, Western Australia Claremont is a Western suburbs (Perth), western suburb of Perth, Western Australia, on the north bank of the Swan River (Western Australia), Swan River. History Prior to European settlement, the Noongar people used the area as a source of wat ...

between 1901 and 1976.

Building

In 1894, businessman

James Grave James may refer to: People * James (given name) * James (surname) * James (musician), aka Faruq Mahfuz Anam James, (born 1964), Bollywood musician * James, brother of Jesus * King James (disambiguation), various kings named James * Prince James ...

built the Osborne Hotel on a cliff-top in Claremont. Considered to be Perth's finest hotel, it had panoramic views of the

Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or approximately 20% of the water area of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia (continent), ...

and Swan River and included a tower and raised turrets and was surrounded by two acres (0.8 ha) of landscaped gardens. In 1898 Graves found himself "financially embarrassed" and sold the hotel to

William Dalgety Moore William Dalgety Moore (30 August 1835 – 22 April 1910) was a businessman in Fremantle, Western Australia, and also a pastoralist and politician. Early life Moore was born in the Swan River Colony in 1835, the eldest child of Samuel Moore and ...

Convent

The property was purchased by the

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary The Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary, whose members are commonly known as the Loreto Sisters, is a Roman Catholic religious congregation of women dedicated to education founded in Saint-Omer by an Englishwoman, Mary Ward, in 1609. The cong ...

in 1901. The convent was formally known as Loreto Osborne, Claremont. A chapel and sleeping accommodation for the

sisters A sister is a woman or a girl who shares parents or a parent with another individual; a female sibling. The male counterpart is a brother. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to r ...

were built in 1938 and in 1963 the old hotel building was demolished to make way for a new building. In 1963 the senior pupils from Loreto Nedlands were moved to the Claremont school, and in 1977 Loreto Osborne amalgamated with

St. Louis St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a populatio ...

boys' school to form John XXIII College. The school remained the senior campus of the college until the latter's move to Mount Claremont in 1986, and the site was subsequently occupied by the Western Australian International College. The convent buildings were demolished in 1990, with residential housing built on the location at 101–109 Bindaring Parade, Claremont. The high, 1937-built bell tower was rebuilt in 1991 using the original bricks, in William Street, Northbridge.

Notable alumni

Judy Davis Judith Davis (born 23 April 1955) is an Australian actress. In a career spanning over four decades of both List of Judy Davis performances, screen and stage, she has been commended for her versatility and regarded as one of the finest actresses ...

, actress *

Judy Edwards Judith Mary Edwards (born 10 April 1955) in Beverley, Western Australia is an Australian politician. She was the ALP member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly from May 1990 to September 2008, representing the electorate of Maylan ...

, politicianThe Australian Women's Register
/ref> *

Jennifer Hagan Jennifer Hagan (born 5 October 1943) is an Australian actress who was the acting tutor at the National Institute of Dramatic Art from 1991 until 1997. For three decades she was a leading player with professional theatre companies throughout Aus ...

, actress *

Eileen Joyce Eileen Alannah Joyce CMG (1908–1991) was an Australian pianist whose career spanned more than 30 years. She lived in England in her adult years. Her recordings made her popular in the 1930s and 1940s, particularly during World War II. At h ...

, pianist *

Margaret McAleer Margaret McAleer (16 February 1930 – 30 March 1999) was an Australian politician who served as a member of the Western Australian Legislative Council from 1974 to 1993. The daughter of former Geraldton mayor James McAleer, Margaret was bor ...

, politician * Robin Miller, the "Sugarbird Lady", pioneering nurse aviator

References

External links

Sketch of proposed convent, 1895
(NB: this was some time before the convent acquired the property so presumably was a concept drawing only)
Photograph of Loreto Convent, Claremont, 1972
{{Loreto schools, state=collapsed Defunct Catholic schools in Australia Educational institutions established in 1901 Educational institutions disestablished in 1976 Claremont, Western Australia

Claremont Claremont may refer to: Places Australia *Claremont, Ipswich, a heritage-listed house in Queensland * Claremont, Tasmania, a suburb of Hobart * Claremont, Western Australia, a suburb of Perth * Town of Claremont, Perth * Claremont Airbase, an ...

Former convents in Australia Defunct girls' schools in Australia 1901 establishments in Australia 1976 disestablishments in Australia Demolished buildings and structures in Western Australia Buildings and structures demolished in 1990